West African Inspiration: SRK by Selly Raby Kane

Selly Raby Kane in front of the old Dakar train station (Photo by Jean-Baptiste Joire) 

Selly Raby Kane is the young Senegalese designer behind label Seraka. With a diverse background, Selly brings an enormous amount of creative energy and uniqueness to the fashion scene in Dakar and indeed, internationally. She began Seraka in 2008 and since then the label has grown exponentially - both in terms of artistry and size. Selly has recently launched her A/W 2014 collection - Alien Cartoon. It is stunning mix of textures, patterns and lines with delicate wax print touches and lots of stonewashed denim and clear vinyl ponchos. The collection was shot by Jean-Baptiste Joire and Omar Victor Diop and the styling is impeccable. 

Selly is fearless in her use of sharp silohuettes and juxtaposition of clashing materials - she seamlessly pairs fluffy tulle with stift vinyl, bright wax print with soft cotton. I particularly like the way she weaves fabrics like bazin and wax print in to the collection - making it distinctively West African despite other apparent influences.

Seraka describes this collection as:

 A reflexion on a futuristic invaded African city, where naive and fantastic creatures evolve among human beings. 

If you haven't already, definitely check out the SRK website!

Selly Raby Kane is currently running an Indie Gogo crowdsourcing campaign for the Alien Cartoon launch - it's a great way to support an emerging designer and get some rad threads in exchange. Check it out here! 

All photos by Jean-Baptise Joire and Omar Victor Diop  (you can read our profile on Omar's work here)